Diagnostic x-ray apparatus



Sept. 20, 19 55 H, GRAF 2,718,598

DIAGNOSTIC X-RAY APPARATUS I Filed March 10, 1955 United States PatentDIAGNOSTIC X-RAY APPARATUS Herbert Graf, Erlangen, Germany ApplicationMarch 10, 1953, Serial No. 341,527 Claims priority, application GermanyApril 12, 1952 9 Claims. (Cl. 25058) This invention is concerned withdiagnostic X-ray apparatus comprising a device for protecting theoperator against random radiation and means for adjusting the positionof such device in accordance with the angular position of the carrierfor the viewing screen.

Diagnostic X-ray apparatus are provided with devices for shielding theoperator against detrimental radiation. In fluoroscopy, the effectiveradiation is in back of the patient absorbed by a plate of lead glasswhich is connected with the screen. The random radiation emanating fromthe irradiated portion of the patients body is in the examination ofpatients in upright position caught by a device, disposed underneath thescreen, which usually comprises a plurality of mutually overlappingrubberized lead strips. Such a protective device is also used inapparatus for examining patients in horizontal position in which casethe device is fastened on a portion of the side of the screen frame.

Apparatus which are adjustable about a horizontal axis for alternate useeither with patients in upright or in horizontal position haveincreasingly replaced the separate apparatus provided for these purposesin the past. The device for protecting against random radiation must insuch cases be manually transferred from the bottom portion of the screenframe to a side frame portion incident to placing the apparatus from theupright into an angular position.

A diagnostic procedure has increasingly found favor in which the patientis brought from a vertical position by way of adjustable angularlyinclined positions to a horizontal position and then beyond thehorizontal with the head in a low position.

The examination is carried out in a darkened room and the manualtransfer of the protective device causes difliculties. In addition, theprotective device does not provide for sufficient protection of theoperator in the positions which are intermediate the vertical andhorizontal positions.

The invention avoids these drawbacks by the provision, on the screen orthe screen frame or carrier, especially on the frame or carrier for afluorescent screen, of a rail member, for the protective device,extending at least along two sides of the screen frame so that theprotective device may be brought along such rail member into aprotective position which corresponds to the position of the operatorand to the adjusted angular position of the diagnostic apparatus.

Suitable motor means may be provided for automatically carrying out theadjustment of the protective device so as to secure proper positioningthereof incident to the adjustment of the angular positions of theapparatus.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference tothe accompanying diagrammatic drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows inschematic elevational view the fluorescent screen associated with anX-ray apparatus comprising a table which is adjustable from asubstantially verti- 2,718,598 Patented Sept. 20, 1955 lapping striplikemembers 4 made of material such as rubberized lead which is impermeableto the rays. The lower ends of the individual strips may be heldtogether by a continuous rubber band or the like, in such a manner thatthey do not part while enabling the operator to reach therethrough forthe purpose of manipulating the patient.

The protective device 3 is movably provided on the tubular rail 5 bymeans of rollers 6. The rail 5 is fastened to the frame 2 by holdermembers 7. Each individual strip is in the illustrated example suspendedfrom a roller 6 which is disposed midway thereof and rides on the rail5.

As will be seen from Fig. 3, each rubberized lead strip may be providedwith a reinforcing strip member 8 which is journalled on the bolt 9'ofthe associated roller. The reinforcing sheet may be curved as indicatedin Fig. 3 so that the major portion of the strip is disposed underneaththe roller axis.

Upon the carrier bolt 9 may also be provided a securing element 10 forpreventing the slipping off of the associated roller from the guide rail5. The individual rollers are secured in their mutually spaced positionsby the members 11 which are disposed on the respective bolts. Theindividual strips of the protective device thus form a common shield.

In the upright position of the table (not shown) of the diagnosticapparatus, the protective device assumes the position shown in Fig. 1.When the table is placed in an angular inclined position, the protectivedevice can be easily shifted into a corresponding shielding position.

The shifting of the protective device may be carried out manually orautomatically.

For the automatic shifting, the invention provides a motor devicecomprising a spring controlled drive having a coiled spring 12 disposedin the tubular guide rail 5. One end 13 of the spring is secured to theholder 7 on the upper frame portion, as seen in Fig. 1. The other end ofthe spring is provided with a hook 14 or the like, as shown in Fig. 4,which is in engagement with the guide roller 6 for the last rubberizedlead strip shown in Fig. l on the extreme right and which is guided in aslot in the guide rail 5.

In the upright position of the table of the X-ray apparatus with whichthe fluorescent screen 1 is associated, the spring 12 is extended by theweight of the protective device. Upon moving the support or table forthe patient into angular position, the force of the spring will becomeeffective in accordance with the progressive reduc tion of the downwardpull of the weight of the protective device on the spring, due to thecoincident change in the position of the guide rail, and the device willconsequently be automatically shifted always into the correspondingshielding position by the pulling force of the spring.

In the terminal position, with the table and patient horizontal or withthe head of the patient in a low position, the right end portion of theprotective device will be on the guide rail 5 adjacent the lower leftedge of the screen, as seen in Fig. 1, thereby placing the shieldingdevice in alignment with the corresponding position of the operatordiagonally of the apparatus.

In place of the described automatic shifting of the device by springforce, there-may of course be provided suitable other motor means, e.g., electro-magnetically operable motormeans or suitable motor meansoperated by compressed air. I

The protective device may be disposed on a desired side of the table ofthe X-ray apparatus. The mounting may also be constructed so that theprotective device may be selectively shifted from the position shown inFig. 1 along either side of the table responsive to tilting the tablefrom vertical to inclined and horizontal position, respectively.

I claim:

1. Diagnostic X-ray apparatus having a table for a patient which isangularly adjustable to place the patient from a substantially verticalposition through intermediate positions into a substantially horizontalposition and vice versa and having a'generally rectangular frame whichis associated with said table and angularly adjustable therewithcoincident with the angular adjustment thereof and having a device forprotection against random outward radiation, said device comprising anarcuate guide rail embracing an arc of at least 180 and extendingalongside of at least two sides of said frame substantially between twodiagonally disposed corners thereof, and radiation protection meansmovably disposed on said guide rail for displacement relative to saidfluorescent screen in accordance with the angular position thereof.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, comprising means for automaticallydisplacing said radiation protection means on said guide rail incidentto the angular adjustment of said table and associated screen;

3. The structure defined in claim 1, comprising roller means for movablydisposing said radiation protection means on said arcuate guide rail.

'4. The structure defined in claim 1, comprising a tubular member whichconstitutes said arcuate guide rail.

5. The structure defined in claim 1, comprising a a fluorescent screenprovided in 1 tubular member which constitutes said arcuate guide rail,and a spring disposed in said tubular member for automaticallydisplacing said radiation protection means in accordance with theangular adjustment of said table and associated screen.

6. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said radiation protectionmeans comprises a plurality of striplike members, and roller means formovably supporting each striplike member on said arcuate guide rail toform a movable shield depending therefrom.

7. The structure defined in claim 6, comprising a shield for securingeach roller in movable engagement with said arcuate guide rail.

8. The structure defined in claim 6, comprising a tubular memberconstituting said acuate guide rail, a tension spring disposed in saidtubular member, one end of said spring being fastened to said tubularmember at one end thereof, a hooklike member secured to and extendingfrom the other end of said spring and engaging a roller of one of saidstriplike shield members, the weight of said striplike shield membersextending said spring in one extreme angular position of said table andassociated screen and the pull of said spring being eifective during theangular adjustment of said table in the direction of the other extremeangular position thereof for automatically displacing said shields.

9. The structure defined in claim 6, comprising means for securing saidroller means in movable engagement with said guide rail, and means forreinforcing each striplike member and for securing the position thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,907,523 Egrcssi May 9, 1933 2,135,019 Struck Nov. 1, 1938 2,567,566Kizaur Sept. 11, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 319,940 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1929

